Thread: And ... it begins ...

I got my razor in the mail - Boker King Cutter 5/8. I have supplies, strop, and have done some research. Yesterday I did my first ever straight razor shave. Here is what I have learned so far:

1. Shave ready means you don't feel it when the blade cuts your skin (yes, it IS very sharp!)

2. While I am good with a knife left handed, and can write just as sloppy left handed as I do with my right hand, shaving is different. Mirrors and stuff...

Anyway, yes, I got a couple of nicks. Nothing bad. I have been - and continue to - do my reading and watch videos so that I can learn from those before me. I have seen videos from Lynn Abrams & from ShaveNation on shaving. Both shave ambidextrously (right hand shaves right side, left hand - left side). I am wondering - is this what everyone does or is this primarily for seasoned masters?

FYI - I shave after showering, use hot-ish water, pre-shave oil, creme for lather, multiple passes shaving, and an after shave moisturizer.

Thanks in advance for any tips!

Threads on one hand - both hand shaving have run in the past. I think in general most SR users use both hands but there are those that use only one hand.

I have tried using only one hand and did not like it at all. Of course, it is all in the muscle memory. If you practice either way long enough you will get good result.

Do what is comfortable for you and don't try anything that makes you uncomfortable. It takes a while to get good at this hobby.

try practicing the easy passes with the opposite hand (ear to jaw bone) you'll get used to the feel. I find it much more comfortable both hands then one, but if your comfortable one handed then stick with it. Like anything, some blood will be spilled, then we learn. Have fun

One of the things that has helped me reduce nicks is good skin stretching and holding. Also if your lather is on the wet side it will have more glide. As lather starts to dry if get sticky and then more nicks. Low blade angles also produce less nicks. As far as the hand thing goes, you will either learn to shave with your non dominant hand or not, but don't stress about it. Some do and some don't and both are correct.

I'm left handed, but use both hands straight shaving. I practiced using a shavette without a blade to get used to using my right hand. It only took a few shaves before using both hands felt completely natural.


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Practice, practice, practice. It is what is needed for using the opposite hand and anything to do with S.R. Shaving. And sense you are new to this and haven't got a lot of muscle memory yet i, its best to learn to use both hands right off the get-go. Its easier than trying to learn it after years of doing it with one hand. But I bet some folks just cant use both hands. I'm left handed and found it to be an easy thing to learn. Just be absolutely sure you have a good grip on the razor. It can come out of your opposite hand easy if your not used to using it. Good luck and welcome to the forum. The best place to learn all there is about S.R. Shaving!

Originally Posted by 5G62

1. Shave ready means you don't feel it when the blade cuts your skin (yes, it IS very sharp!)

snip...

Thanks in advance for any tips!

Razor on top of skin = good. Razor under skin = bad.

Might want to give those a few days to heal before going after it again. Funny how a sharp blade like to catch skin it already nibbled and make it worse.

Fewer passes per shave while learning also makes for fewer nicks.

I use both hands. It just takes practice. It feels totally natural now. Have fun and welcome.

Welcome to SRP!
And as has been said there's a lot to this hobby. One more thing you might try is to use a butter knife to try and develop muscle memory.
And you can still practice while healing up the battle wounds.

Enjoy and have fun

Since you already have some degree of ambidexterity, I say start using both hands to shave. Like many others, I find shaving with both hands to be easier than forcing my dominant hand into strange positions and grips. It's best to start out learning to shave with both hands to see if this works for you or not. The non-dominant hand will take more time to develop adequate muscle memory, especially for odd grips and passes. Over time you will improve to the point where the feeling will be more natural. Just takes practice...